Humanitarian assistance for the Crimea could be launched soon

It is possible to begin implementing a large-scale relief programme on humanitarian assistance for the Crimea in the coming days upon the Russian president's decision, head of the State Duma's Committee on CIS Affairs and Relations with Compatriots Leonid Slutsky said on Feb. 28, RIA Novosti reported.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has recently instructed the government to examine the issue of providing Crimea with humanitarian assistance in response to the appropriate appeal of the autonomy's leadership.

"We will be together with the people of fraternal Ukraine," he said at a plenary meeting on Feb. 28. "The Russian president's decision is to render humanitarian assistance, primarily to the south-east of the Ukraine and Crimea."

He stressed that all factions of the State Duma will be able to participate in this huge relief programme.

"I think this is a humanitarian project," he said. "Its implementation can be launched in the coming days."